Notre Dame d’Autrey Abby

https://beatitudes.org/en/house/autrey/

I planned this trip a few times. I’m glad I went. Getting there was a long drive. Made longer by LOTS of traffic jams. One was about 10 kilometers long and took an hour of our time. Very frustrating to say the least. Solidified my desire to go the southern route home for sure as I was driving that leg!!

THI was the reason for the traffic jam. The entire freeway was tore up under that bridge. Fun times!!

Tiny towns and traffic backed up for miles. 

Turning off the freeway to the valley towards Autrey. 

Turning off the freeway there were a LOT of castle ruins to be seen. This is Ortenbourge to the right and Ramstein to the left. 

As you can see there are a few!!

THI is more of the countryside I was picturing for the Abby. We came through lots of mountains and wooded hills to get here!!

The first sign with “Autrey” on it!!

AND we are entering the town

The Abby

Not sure how the translation app got involved in my photo BUT it states: Blessed Therese of Saint-Augustin Prioress of the Carmelites of Compiegne.  Guillotinée on July 17, 1794 in Paris with 15 of her sisters.  

Translated title:

CaSeghcur congale Sion, da pite de sruines From this deserted place to make a facdin meve, of this land andeva to make a paradise will rewrite the cns of an overflowing yellow, the songs of deluange ees arede mupique Isaie 313

Translations are weird. 

No translation here. Weirdness. Dedications??

This is a carriage way to the right whe facing the Abby. When you walk through you are in the gardens. There is a stream running through. A pond with ducks and a bee keepers house as well as some haves in the property. It’s a very interesting place to be sure. 

There is a hummingbird in this shot somewhere ;)

It was fun to go there and see it. Definitely a SMALL village. But happy to say that I went :)

Covid now

 I haven't done an update on Covid as of late... there is a new variant out there the Delta Variant - I'm sure there will be MANY more variants out there in the future as that is the nature of virus' and how they work.  You get comfortable with the flu in X variant, get the flu shot and low and behold there are three different strands (variants) this year that are not covered by that vaccine.  Welcome to the world.

So this update happens to be on the world and wondering why AM I am wanting to go home so badly.

The US right now:

Germany right now:

seems like Germany has a much better handle on this than the US wouldn't you think?

So, wondering if it's really smart to go back to the states when they are blowing up?  MMM, yeah... I think it is.  This is not going away, it's going to be here for the duration.  The only bad thing about States vs. here.  Because the counts are so low here in our local "State" of Baden Wurttemberg - we do not have to wear masks at work.   The states are different - they have to wear masks at work - at all times.  

Here a Job, there a job... update

 Well, it would appear that I am not worthy.  I didn't hear back from the Maryland job after the two weeks - hoping to have a 2nd interview.  No such luck.

I didn't hear back from the SCOO job - however we are at three weeks for that one - they indicated it would be up to 4 weeks.  I doubt that I'll get that job... but that's just history with those folks.

SWEG - I have not heard back from them either in a sense.  There are some folks in the local area that have been pulling for me to get that job.  SOOOO.  I am still hoping that the internal pulling will rattle that one loose for good... and get me that job.  

Catching up on life...

 Keeping track of two insurances when ONE is AWFUL on processing payments (as in I JUST got mail from JANUARY submissions)... then if I submit the 2nd too early they kick it back as "not allowed" ... add to it this insurance is seriously STUPID in that I have NEVER had to specify I'm overseas and that they pay ME direct... they just did it... well this time they did NOT.  They sent a check in the laboratory’s name for dollar amounts.  What stupidity is this???  sigh... so NOW I need to go back and tell the stupid people what they did... and make sure that no more are paid out to the German labs/doctors.  Sigh.  ONE more thing to track.  Very irritating and the paper trails are HUGE and convoluted... so they have sat on my side of the entry table for a week.  Today I dove in and saw that I have the added joy of following up on all the prior stuff and getting it all straightened out tomorrow after work.  

THEN I also go the whole "you owe $21,000" thing worked out in my pea brain and figured out long before the gal in finance did just what the blazes is going on.  She never bothered to state that they weren't filling out their paperwork correctly and THAT is why in March I got a big check for $6,500... Nope, they weren't that coherent - she even said at one point "I don't know what is going on with that".  Well, apparently when they did their reconciliation and figured out they were 1) overpaying me and 2) underpaying me in the same breathe they neglected to check the box of calling DFAS and telling them that "hey, we are putting in details into this account and the "credit" she is due should go against her debt"...oh, no, they just put it in and then DFAS just paid me that difference - they're not tracking history, just money.  So in their minds they had already determined that I owed them and adjusted my pay but didn't even bat an eye when I was then "owed" $6,500 after that fact... so they just paid it outright.  Sigh.. so twice this has happened with adjustments... so now the finances are REALLY screwed up and there is no telling how far were' off.  I know I had another $1,500 credit tossed in there as well as a few checks with money taken out... so I am rounding down a bit in hopes to meet them in the middle and not overpaid them... but to slightly underpay for now and by the time it all catches up we'll be even Steven.  Clear as mud?  Yeah, me too.  It was crazy and a lot of spreadsheets were used until the lights came on to what they were doing... crazy train and stressful to say the least BUT in good news the whole "We neglected to pay for your COLA all this time" is about what it was for the rest of the money... so it all worked out in the end.  I think I still came out a few hundred ahead... which is a sad statement.

BUT on the good side I had the money to pay them, on the bad side they really did a number on my morale for this place.  It was already bad with COVID and restrictions and just the overall desire to bug out of here... but finances pushed me over the edge... 

Let's face it, I've not been the same or happy after coming home from seeing the girls.  Travel this summer has been nil as I'm not pushing it.  The variant is out there, there is no protection for me as I had my shots well over 6 months ago and Butch is a chicken when it comes to travel... and honestly I have lost my mojo and thinking it's better to just push the return early button at some point.

I have the added stress of the Rectocele and now KNOWING it's there makes me more aware.  Not sure how long it's been there but now I know, I know... so that adds some concerns and stress to me.  But other than that I'm fine... I say cackling like and insane woman - hahaha!

Really, the rest is all just "stuff".  I sat here for two hours going through claims and lining them all up and am still a bit confused on a few of them... and more than concerned with this insurance company I'm dealing with - we'll be moving back to Blue Cross here when open season comes... they are SO much easier... well, I hope they are for overseas - they were much easier for stateside and honestly I hope I'm there before open season anyway... 

I'm putting off telling bosses I'm done... I want to stick it out and get some of this stuff accomplished and done and leave the place better than I found it on the KM level, but honestly it's a challenge.  I know I left it better than I found it on the SharePoint side in some aspects.  I know I did for some of the relationships, but not nearly enough.  And therein lies the problem... when is enough, enough... what is good enough?  What is progress because it's a comparison?  I think there is always room for more improvement.... it's a rough and long road though and I'm honestly not there... I know it.. I want to be but I can only control so much.  And Marines are different in that I can't find a stitch of regulation to build MY regulations off of... there is no overarching regulation for KM, so that makes my job that much harder.  It’s a hard sell area of work for sure!

And I care… I want it all to work out and be lovely and beautiful and not be “that” person who left the place in a shambles – ya know?

And so it goes... and I am calling it an afternoon on the computer and going down for a snack - or lunch?  it's 1pm, but I think we had a relatively late breakfast as well, so it's hard to determine if I"m really hungry or just bored with this and want a snack

Here a job, there a job, everywhere a job

Today was the last interview in a short time. 

Job 1 - interviewed 13th -  Maryland - asked yesterday for my references to be sent to them. They have been sent. This means I’m closer to the to being a finalist for that job. Not sure that’s good as it’s not a great location for being closer to family BUT it’s stateside and it’s a GS13 so it would be a huge step forward towards retirement. It’s also in the DC pay range. DC is 30% locality. It’s 15% for the rest of the states. Sooo that’s nothing to sneeze at. So about $13,000 more a year adding to the retirement plan. Soooo tempting. It’s about a 30-45 minute commute to Annapolis - meaning we could get Butchs dream boat and live in it. 

Job 2 - interviewed 16th - SCOO (Warner Robins) - I won’t hear results for a few weeks. So it’s seriously an unknown. 

Job 3 - interviewed today - SWEG (Warner Robins) - I just finished the interview today and they are making their choice today -. SO we shall see how that one goes in roughly a week on my side. Takes a while for the decision to trickle down. 

6 Month checkup @ 4 years, job interviews and life

Well, it's that time of year again... 4 year checkup.

I'm still convinced that the checkups that are occurring are NOT what I need.  I'll get into the why in a bit, but I'm always shocked that I can be stoic that nothing is wrong for MONTHS and all it takes is these damn checkups to send me into depression and freaking out. Sigh.  Why?  Who on earth knows. 

I do know that when you didn’t note or know of anything that was going wrong in your body when you HAD cancer, you question every single tweak and twinge you have from that point forward…. And it sucks.

So – part of why I don’t think this is over is because I’m back to having hot flashes like I was before I found out I had cancer… I simply thought “well, I’m 50, this is it, this is menopause.”  Surprise, it was NOT!  I had blood work later on that indicated that, nope, I was not in menopause and those hot flashes was my body freaking out.  So… am I in menopause now?  Here’s hoping. 

Let’s back up to the beginning of this story, on the 4^th I noted something wasn’t quite right in the nethers and knew I had an appointment with the oncologist very soon after getting back home, so asked him when I was in his office about who I should see.  He recommended a gynecologist office and I went to see them a week to the day after seeing the oncologist.  The agreement was if they didn’t know what it was at the gynecologist I would be back to him for further investigations.  The good news is they know what it is, the bad news is what all doctors say here: I would just let it be.

Really they are a community of non-intervention.  Sometimes that is great, sometimes that just freaks the rest of us out – see the comment of not thinking that my visits now are effective.  Part of me thinks that I should trust them on the facts, part of me doesn’t really trust anyone anymore!

So the bottom line of my exams that happen with Oncology – they do an ultrasound of my abdomen.  They can NOT see my whole liver because 1) its fatty and 2) its LARGE – mostly because I’m large.  So they never really get a good picture of the back of it, nor the internal portions of it due to the issues listed above.  I’m more apt to really think there isn’t anything in there because my liver enzymes are in a good range, so really, I don’t know that there is anything there.  I DO have problems that they are no longer looking at my lungs at all.  There were nodules in the past I don’t know if those nodules were stable, or if they were the same nodules or if there are different nodules.  When I ask they say they are nothing to be concerned about…. Yeah, says YOU.  Sigh… I know, I know I should trust them to know their business.  BUT fast forward to rattles when I’m laying down at night and in the morning that are unexplained and I have gone to a normal doc who listened and didn’t hear anything and said “ah, it’s nothing”.  They do not want to expose me to x-rays anymore.  Well, then do an MRI dorks.  They don’t do those here often, so it’s not something they will order unless there are HUGE flashing red lights..  So… this with the combination of my newly returned hot flashes have me concerned.  I started with the simple blood draw.  Am I in menopause?

Oh, yeah, when the oncologist asked if I have night sweats, they will ONLY look at you hard if you are sweating through clothing and wetting sheets.  Well, hell I didn’t do that when I had cancer the last time in it’s full glory.  I was having hot flashes like I have now where I’m in and out of bedding all night and sweating and sleeping with windows open in 50 - 60 degree weather.  This is either the return or its menopause.  Good news is I’m forcing them to look at it.

Better news is when I get back to the states it’s time for my colonoscopy AND I will have a head to toe exam and have them do a full CT panel to make sure that all is well inside… but will I trust it even then?  Hard to know… but I’ll let you know.  I told the doc here it sucks when you had cancer without what you would have considered symptoms so now anything changes and you question if it’s cancer or not… sucks, and it’s not going away apparently.

Sigh.  In other news I have had two interviews in the last week or so.  One in Maryland the week of the 4^th (can’t remember the exact date – maybe the 7^th?) and one on the 16^th.   I should know about the Maryland one in two weeks and the one on the 16^th in about 4 weeks.  AND I have another on the 20^th as well… so things are looking up on the interview process.  I heard that only 12 interviewed for the one Friday.  Not sure who interviewed, but we shall see… it’s really not one I want, but I’ll still be sad if I’m not even looked at twice.  I really hope the interview on the 20^th is my “shoo-in” job as it’s where I worked right before I came here and one that I would be returning to regardless… not that specific job, but in that area… so here’s hoping!  I get my hopes up on these jobs and then don’t get them and it makes me sad and feeling incompetent… so we’ll see where this leads in the long run.

4th of July in Venice

 I decided we should spend a LONG weekend in Venice as things are starting to open up.  I chose weird flights that went through Madrid rather than sort of direct. The options were train to Frankfurt with a flight or flights only.  I like the option of flights - not sure why I'm so anti train, but I think I need to change my ways if there isn't more direct flights to take.

So, we flew through Madrid - delt with the extra forms and issues that come with flying through another country to get to the final destination - the good news is that going wasn't too bad other than the confusion of what forms were really required to go/come/go through other countries.  We were shoved paperwork that we dutifully filled out and didn't really turn in anywhere.

So, here we go!

We arrived in Venice and choset to travel to the hotel via the transfer bus.  It worked out well for us.  We missed the first bus, but only had to wait for 20 minutes.  No biggie and it was a very short walk from the far side of the train station to our hotel just to the other side of the same train station :)

Not a far walk and we're right on the Grand Canal!

Entering the room....

The living room actually as seen from the bedroom... the entry is right at the end of the lovely pink sofa.  The bath is in the door straight ahead.

The bedroom - do you think that is enough toile?  Pink toile at that!!  LOTS Of pink and lots of toile!!

OUR VIEW!  This is the view from the living room ... the hotel across the canal had a wedding the first night - there are video's of it on my facebook account.  So the only downside to this view is that it is east facing - so it's HOT as blazes in the morning.  The GREAT news about this room is there is A/C.  Yes, it was HOT while we were there... but what's weird is it was only 84 at the highest, but without A/C in lots of places and the amount of concrete and marble, this place really holds the heat and the humidity as it's on water is through the roof.  It would cool down over the night.  The other thing we discovered being on the grand canal was the noise factor.  Now it's not awful, but it is busy and starts to ramp up at 5am with construction and work boats making their way around the city.  Being where we were too, the construction pickup area for materials is at this end of the canal... so you get ALL the construction traffic here.  I do NOT regret getting a canal view, I don't regret spending the money on a grand canal view... but I think I would either 1) go further down the canal for less traffic or 2) go to an inner canal to have the cute views but with less traffic. 

Another observance is that there was a LOT less crowding and people at the train station.  In the past in July there would be tons of people in the square - there weren't.  We didn't got to St. Marks square at all so we don't know how that area would compare to non Covid times - I know, sacrilege not going to St. Marks Square, right? 

Dinner the first night we chose to repeat a restaurant we visited on one of our first visits to Venice. 

It's right next to the hotel.  It was a great place to eat with the wedding occuring right across the water.  There was music and ambiance galore!

The next day I had planned a walking tour - during the heat of the day... but it was well worth it - it was a historical tour, so we could see and hear about some of the history of venice.   Here are some of the photos I took while on this tour.

We had some lunch near Rialto in an alley of all places.  it turned out to be a decent meal.  I don't really remember what we had, but it was nice to sit in the shade and enjoy a glass of wine and some food and relax for a bit.  It was really steamy and we sweat and WALKED a LOT on this trip.

As we were tired from walking some 2 miles or more at this point and it was at the heat of the day, we opted to take a water bus back to the hotel for a break.  Really it's for a nap - gawd we are old!

As we took the bus back to the hotel. I snapped a picture of our hotel.  It starts at the corner and goes all the way past the 2nd pink area.  OUR room is the last pink section.

THIS is our section of the hotel.  We are on the 2nd (3rd in the states) floor with the balcony.  The weird thing is that the bathroom that we have is the TINY section in white with the double windows.  Those are the windows over the toilet and bidet area.  This explains the very short ceiling in bathroom... there isn't a raised roof over that area... strange, eh?  Anyway - the two balconies are from left to right living room, then bedroom.  so, quite a large set of rooms.

As we are still in a walking kick and too silly to just take water buses just yet, we walked to Rialto for dinner.  Here are some shots as we walked through the center area of the island.

I'm so in love with the new BRIGHT styles of glasses... so much so that some actually talked to me and I bought them :)

Our view for dinner.  Sadly I had to be a bit whiney to get it.  They wanted us to sit at the side without a view and I was telling Butch this is NOT what I wanted and I wanted to move to a new restaurant if they couldn't let us be on the water... as that is the ONLY reason we walk all over looking for places to eat!!  The waiter finally took pitty on me and moved us to the front of the restaurant so we could have a view while we ate.

                      

The picture I'm tempted to share only - like I'm not even there... but the reality of me being present. 

But the view... the view was lovely!!!

And our views and pictures on the walk home as well ... ah... this is Italy.

Sunday we headed to Murano so I could get some Christmas ornaments... which I did get... but Butch also got something too... meet his new friend.

This thing is HUGE.  It's about 18" tall and probably 15lbs.  He had is shipped back to the states for Liz to be it's caretaker until we get home - it's probably safer that way anyway that it be insured in shipping back there... they also tossed in the ornaments for free once he bought this as well - so bonus for me!!

The Art studio we purchased from: Mazzega Glass Factory

Dinner on Sunday was back to Rialto but this time to look at some of the shops and then go to the restaurants with a view of the bridge.

And then the rain started.... to the point that we were moved off the water front tables because it got gusty and the wind was driven into the awning area as well as dripping directly over the electrical areas.  I was laughing about the rain and the wind.. it wasn't horrible.  Really - but then it got a bit out of hand and we were moved to the building area... we sat and watched people run to and from the area soaking wet.

And because we see faces everywhere... the cameras had ears that made them look like pandas 

So very cute!!

Here are the glasses that I fell in love with.  LOVE all the bright colors and flame look on the water glasses - the smaller are shot glasses and are so very pretty!

And with that, we're back in cold Germay with highs in the mid 60's and rainy.  Part of me is happy to see the cooler temps, but a part of me is sad to be out of the warmth.